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Wildlife in the Dry Tortugas
At the islands of the Dry Tortugas, you will likely encounter abundant bird and marine life.

Birds

The Dry Tortugas have a wide range of birds that visit and reside at the island - 299 different species have been counted!
Seven of those species nest at the Dry Tortugas, including:
Sooty Tern, Brown Noddy, Brown Pelican, Magnificent Frigatebird, Masked Booby, Roseate Tern, and Mourning Dove.
Birders and birding enthusiasts from around the world often visit during the Spring migratory season, when many varieties of birds can be observed. Especially popular are the tens-of-thousands of Sooty Terns who nest on the ground from February to Sept.


Marine Life
With warm, tropical waters surrounding the island, you will likely encounter abundant marine life, including:
fish (tropicals, snappers, grouper, barracuda, small sharks, and many others), crustacions (lobster, shrimp, crab), colorful corals (especially along the mote of Fort Jefferson), and many other interesting sea creatures.
-Bring binoculars if possible to observe the bird life.
-Bring a camera to capture the beautiful scenery.
-If you want to see marine life, plan to snorkel.  With shallow water and sandy beaches, it is easy and memorable.
-Please DON'T feed or disturb the wildlife.
-Please DON'T touch coral. It is very sensitive and easily harmed.
-Please DON'T litter. Leave nothing but footprints - take nothing but photos.